3 Thou aged man, life’s wintry storm Hath seared thy vernal bloom; With trembling limbs, and wasting form, Thou’rt bending o’er thy tomb; And can vain hope lead thee astray? Go, weary pilgrim, watch and pray.
4 Ambition, stop thy panting breath: Pride, sink thy lifted eye! Behold the caverns, dark with death, Before you open lie: The heavenly warning now obey; Ye sons of pride, go watch and pray.
1225 C. P. M. Thou art my trust from my youth. Psalm 71:5.
Thy mercy heard my infant prayer, Thy love, with all a mother’s care, Sustained my childish days; Thy goodness watched my ripening youth, And formed my heart to love thy truth, And filled my lips with praise.
2 Then e’en in age and grief, thy name Shall still my languid heart inflame, And bow my faltering knee: O! yet this bosom feels the fire, This trembling hand and drooping lyre Have yet a strain for thee!
3 Yes! broken, tuneless, still, O Lord, This voice transported shall record Thy goodness, tried so long; Till, sinking slow, with calm decay, Its feeble murmurs melt away Into a seraph’s song.
1226 8s & 7s. Only waiting.
Only waiting till the shadows Are a little longer grown; Only waiting till the glimmer Of the day’s last beam is flown; Till the night of earth is faded From the heart once full of day; Till the stars of heaven are breaking Through the twilight soft and gray.
2 Only waiting till the reapers Have the last sheaf gathered home; For the summer time is faded, And the autumn winds have come. Quickly, reapers, gather quickly The last ripe hours of my heart, For the bloom of life is withered, And I hasten to depart.
3 Only waiting till the shadows Are a little longer grown; Only waiting till the glimmer Of the day’s last beam is flown; Then, from out the gathered darkness, Holy, deathless stars shall rise, By whose light my soul shall gladly Tread its pathway to the skies.
1227 10s. Abide with me.
Abide with me! fast falls the eventide; The darkness thickens; Lord! with me abide! When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, Help of the helpless! O abide with me!
2 Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O thou who changest not! abide with me.
3 I need thy presence every passing hour; What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me!
4 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord! abide with me.
1228 11s & 10s. Come unto me.
Come unto me, when shadows darkly gather, When the sad heart is weary and distrest, Seeking for comfort from your heavenly Father, Come unto me, and I will give you rest!
2 Ye who have mourned when the spring flowers were taken, When the ripe fruit fell richly to the ground, When the loved slept, in brighter homes to waken, Where their pale brows with spirit-wreaths are crowned.
3 Large are the mansions in thy Father’s dwelling, Glad are the homes that sorrows never dim; Sweet are the harps in holy music swelling, Soft are the tones which raise the heavenly hymn.
4 There, like an Eden, blossoming in gladness, Bloom the fair flowers the earth too rudely pressed; Come unto me, all ye who droop in sadness, Come unto me, and I will give you rest.
1229 8s & 7s. For old age.
Gracious Source of every blessing! Guard our breast from anxious fears; Let us, each thy care possessing, Sink into the vale of years.
2 All our hopes on thee reclining, Peace companion of our way, May our sun, in smiles declining, Rise in everlasting day.